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MTG’s collaboration with Avatar won’t hit the general market in the coming days, yet after pre-releases this past weekend, one cheap green card has already exploded in value.

From the initial reveals, Badgermole Cub drew significant interest. A 2/2 priced at one green and one colorless mana, it has level 1 earthbending (perhaps the most effective among the elemental mechanics available). The real boon here lies in another power: If you tap a creature for mana, add an additional green mana.

Initially, Badgermole Cub could be purchased for $26.98. Post-prerelease, though, its value jumped to $49.66 including listings priced at sixty dollars. Why are we seeing premium pricing on this adorable card? Primarily due to the incredible mana acceleration it can produce.

As it hits play, the cub converts one land to a creature land granting it earthbend. Combined with its other power, if it stays in play, those lands produces twice the mana — in addition to any creatures you have that produce resources.

The obvious go-to for synergy includes this one-mana elf, an inexpensive 1/1 which can be tapped for a green resource. But numerous other mana generation creatures out there. Druid of the Cowl costs a bit more that’s a 1/3 at a two-mana value in comparison.

Using land cards, creatures that tap for mana, plus the cub, it's simple to summon a massive pricey monster on the battlefield by round three or four. The situation escalates out of control if you keep the pressure on from there.

If you dip into a secondary color in this strategy, cards like versatile mana producers are excellent picks which produce any color of mana. And something like a useful enchantment creature lets you play another terrain per turn AND makes your entire land base into every basic land type. Another possibility is for example the enchantment A Realm Reborn, costing six mana grants all of your permanents the capacity to tap and generate any color mana — even any creature under your control.

Badgermole Cub could be too strong in terms of accelerating your resources, however how do you win in such a strategy? One obvious and popular answer is Ashaya. Power and toughness are set by how many lands you have, and it changes your non-token creatures Forests along with their original types. Essentially, every single creature in play can tap for two G if used for mana.

This additional option provides a high-cost, powerful body that benefits from lots of lands (similar to Ashaya, its power and toughness match the number of lands you control).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World works perfectly in this deck. Her static effect makes Forest lands produce extra green. (Combined with earthbend, so those lands generate three green mana.) Her main ability is essentially a proto-earthbend, adding counters to a noncreature land, which is great but does not overlap with the cub's ability. Her -8 ability, however, renders each land you control indestructible enabling you to put onto the battlefield your remaining Forests in the deck. If you can actually activate this power, this typically means game over.

Badgermole Cub is a must-have for all green-based Avatar strategies built around Earthbending. If you dip into red-green, consider this legendary card. This card features earthbend 4, and if he deals combat damage to a player, all land creatures become untapped and may attack once more. Even though Bumi has emerged as a beloved leader, the cub is definitely going to remain one of, if not the most popular pick in the collaboration.